


Trimming A Tree, Evans Still Won't Go Out With Me

by Bluebellstar



Series: Mischief Managed [4]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Tree, Gen, James is a Dork
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-05
Updated: 2019-12-05
Packaged: 2021-01-29 10:08:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,733
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21408436
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bluebellstar/pseuds/Bluebellstar
Summary: Challenge fill prompt.December 5 - ReparoSummary:James has noticed Lily is sad. He decides to bring Christmas into Gryffindor Tower to make her happy.Also, Remus is long-suffering. Padfoot just wanted to go on a date, and Peter is Peter.Lily, well, look at the title
Relationships: Marauders & Marauders
Series: Mischief Managed [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1518668
Comments: 3
Kudos: 8
Collections: Harry Potter - An Advent Calendar in Spells





	Trimming A Tree, Evans Still Won't Go Out With Me

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! This is my own prompt for the Harry Potter Advent Calendar in Spells Collection.
> 
> Thank you to the creator for allowing me to participate!
> 
> Edit 20/12/19: I've added this to my series. I Solemnly Swear.  
For those of you who follow it, this takes place the December of 1976. Only I've barely mentioned Rose or the events therein at all. So this does stand on its own.

Christmas. Truly the most magical and wonderous time of the year. It was the time of peace on Earth and good will to all life on Earth (except Slytherins). Naturally, as the proud and mischievous representatives of their House, the Marauders decided to get everyone into the Christmas spirit. Or, to be more precise, James had decided that Gryffindor was going to be Christmassy whether they liked it or not. That was why, one fine December Saturday, James announced his plans for sprucing the Common Room up a bit. "Honestly, Moony" James continued, glaring at a rather sad looking sprig of holly. "This place looks about as cheerful as Azkaban, and as energetic." Remus looked up from his book, absently turning the page. He wore the familiar expression of having no idea what James was on about, and not particularly caring. James scowled at him, forgetting for a moment that Remus was currently the only member of his group around. He pouted, throwing himself dramatically onto the nearest couch. "You lot never appreciate my ideas" he complained, prodding at Remus with his foot.

"You're right" Remus agreed dryly, this time not deigning to look away from the gripping page-turner 'Bedlam & Broomsticks: A Study of Medieval Quidditch Hooliganism'. James suddenly and deeply regretted his efforts to make Moony enjoy his beloved sport. Remus side-eyed him, shaking his head. "We never listen to you at all. Padfoot certainly didn't listen to your idea of infesting the Slytherin common room with nifflers yesterday. Peter didn't end up in detention because he listened to you when you said the Slug wouldn't notice if he ate his crystillised pineapple. You're right." Remus rolled his eyes. "It must be so hard, never being listened to." James glowered, sinking further into the couch cushions.

"Piss off, Moony."

"Ooh, someone's in a strop" Sirius called, voice oozing mischief and laughter. James gave him the finger, then grinned brilliantly.

"Pads!" Sirius backed away slowly, sensing his precious freedom was about to be at an end.

"Whatever it is, mate, the answer is no" Sirius announced, holding his hands up in surrender. "I have a date tonight." He smirked. "You know, when a girl who actually likes me agrees to go out with me." Remus snorted, covering the sound with a fake cough. James manfully ignored this, glaring at his best friend instead.

"I know what a date entails, Black" he bit out, clenching his jaw.

"Oh, you do?" Sirius affected an expression of pleased surprise. "I was worried, mate! You know, what with how often Evans tells you she'd rather snog the Giant Squid."

"Sirius" James warned, his threatening tone doing absolutely nothing for the shit-eating grin the dog animagus was shooting him.

"Like I said, Prongsie, I have a date." He shook his head, hair falling perfectly back into place. James grinned evilly back at him, once a Marauder, always a Marauder.

"No you don't" he sang, catching him by the arm. "You are going to help me make this place cheerful and Christmassy!" He laughed, ignoring the slightly manic gleam in his eyes. "And so is Moony, and Wormtail. And you will all enjoy yourselves!" Sirius noticed the boxes full of suspiciously overflowing Christmas decorations and groaned.

"Moony, this isn't another of his idiotic plans to get Evans to go out with him, is it?"

"Of course it is" Remus replied, sighing as Peter chose that moment to topple into the common room with enough sweets to last them all day. Sirius glared at James, advancing on him with a face like McGonagall after one of their pranks.

"You planned this, you bastard!"

"Yes" James agreed, smirking like the victorious Marauder he was. Sirius growled, ready to punch him in the face.

"I have a date, you git!" Soft, female laughter tinkled over to their ears, Sirius' girlfriend leaning casually against Remus' chair.

"It's okay, Siri" Rose laughed, violet eyes dancing. "James explained. Have your Marauder fun. I'll keep Lil occupied. Just don't kiss any other girls under the mistletoe."

"You set me up" Sirius purred, sounding impressed. Rose laughed again, leaning into his embrace.

"Seemed too good an opportunity to miss" she confirmed, James looking away as they kissed. He wasn't a prude, he just wasn't used to his mate caring about someone properly; it felt wrong to interfere. Especially when the woman he loved was not only another Marauder but also the twin of the love of his life.

"She's gone, Prongs" Sirius sighed, clipping him upside the head. "Now can we get this the Salazar over with? I'd like to be able to actually have some mistletoe to snog my girlfriend under." James made a face, bringing his ideas back to the forefront of his mind. Then, he grinned. This time, he was going to get Evans to fo out with him. He knew it!

_______________________

Several hours later, chaos reined in the common room. Something awful warbled on the wireless, the entire house desperately avoiding lingering in the room. Through a minor miracle and extensive swearing and eventually magic, they had managed to wrangle a tree into the corner of the room. Peter, exhausted by this, recovered in front of the fireplace, most of their supplies slowly getting consumed by the rat. The other three Marauders stood around the slightly lopsided tree, Remus gazing critically at the assortment of baubles James had managed to procure. James and Sirius, meanwhile were following their usual method (slap it on the tree and it'll be perfect). The more they continued with their process, the more Remus started to lose his mind. He stood there, head in his hands, watching the two with ever wider eyes. Eventually he could take it no more. "What in the name of Merlin's unwashed underwear are you doing?!" James turned to him, face the picture of confusion.

"We're trimming the tree."

"No!" Remus snapped, tone hysterical. "That is not trimming the tree." He waved his hand at the abomination. "I don't know what that is, but it is not a trimmed tree. It's rubbish."

"Rubbish?!" Sirius exclaimed, voice hiding the laughter his eyes were expressing. "My good man, what are you on about?" Remus advanced on him, finger pointing into his face.

"Look you-"

"If you want to do it, Moony" James replied, saving Sirius from the angry werewolf. "All you had to do was say." Remus controlled his temper with an ease his friends envied. Then he nodded and vanished the mess from the tree.

"Now" he began "we will start."

____________________________

"No, Pete" Remus sighed, patience waning. "The red ornaments only go beside the gold ornaments. And the gold ornaments?"

"Go beside the green ones?" Peter suggested, squinting at the tree. To the untrained observer, the tree was suspiciously well organised. The fairy rested atop the tree, red and gold baubles perfectly placed on the tree. Remus held tightly to the silver tinsel, guarding it as fiercely as he did his chocolate. Sirius decided to take over from him. It was a job he gladly undertook.

"No, you berk" Sirius snapped, snatching the green ornament from his hands. "We aren't using the green ones. Or the blue ones, or the bloody mauve ones. This is Gryffindor, we are using the red and gold ones." With that, he tossed the offending green ornament over his shoulder, shaking his head at the incompetence he was forced to deal with. The bauble sailed past James, clipped a firstie on the ear, and then shattered against the window. Alice Fortescue glared at him, hurrying to attend to the sobbing firstie, while Sirius just admired the hole he'd made in the window. "Ten points." Remus glared at him, wordlessly chiding him for his nonchalant behaviour.

"Behave" he warned, glaring at James who had palmed a blue bauble. "Don't even think about it." James put the bauble down. Annoying an already tetchy werewolf was something experience had taught them all not to do. With a final, warning glare, he moved to the window shaking his head at the snow dancing into the common room. It was, he reflected, actually quite Christmassy. "_Reparo_."__

_ __ _

_ __ _

_______________________

Bing Crosby crooned his hopes for a White Christmas, James standing back from the tree. He smiled, glasses reflecting the lights from the Christmas tree. Things were starting to look like a Marauder Christmas. Sirius laid underneath the tree, hands under his head, humming along with the song. Remus occupied his usual armchair, nose buried in A Christmas Carol, absently eating Quality Streets. Peter had disappeared to Merlin only knew where much as he had been doing as of late, and finally the Girls were returning to the Common Room. Lily Evans followed Marlene McKinnon and Mary MacDonald through the Portrait Hole, a series of gasps following as their eyes fell on the tree. "Potter" Lily greeted, glaring suspiciously at the assembled Marauders. "What?" James grinned widely, smiling at the surprised joy in Lily's formerly troubled eyes.

"Merry Christmas, Evans!"

"You did all this?" Remus nodded, saving James the trouble. Lily smiled brightly. "It looks wonderful." Remus glared at him, warning him not to blow this one. He nodded once, taking a deep breath. He could do this; he was James Potter.

"So" James began hopefully, ruffling his hair. "Will you go out with me?" Lily walked up to him, a beautiful smile on her face. James' breath caught, his heart beating faster than it ever had. This was it. This was the time he got Evans to agree to go out with him. She stopped just in front of him, still wearing that beautiful smile. He could smell her perfume, pick out the flecks in her emerald eyes. Evans was beautiful.

"I" Lily began slowly, imparting it as a great secret "would rather snog the Giant Squid." She pressed a fleeting kiss to his cheek, a token to the mistletoe Sirius had placed above their heads. "Merry Christmas, Potter." James stood, frozen in shock, gaping after that beautiful angel. As Lily disappeared into the Girls dorm's, he spasmed after her, tripping over his feet. The resulting crash would have been loud enough to waken the dead, but all James heard was Remus' gusty sigh for the second time that evening. His wand waved at the mess of broken spare ornaments, the combined detrius enough to make even the most hardened house elf weep.

"_Reparo_."__

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> Have a happy holidays!


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